Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring (January 12th, 1893 - October 15th, 1946) was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party (NSDAP). A veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, he was a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as the "Blue Max". He was the last commander of Jagdgeschwader 1, the fighter wing once led by Manfred von Richthofen, the "Red Baron". A member of the NSDAP from its early days, Göring was wounded in 1923 during the failed coup known as the Beer Hall Putsch. He became permanently addicted to morphine after being treated with the drug for his injuries. He founded the Gestapo in 1933. Göring was appointed commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe (air force) in 1935, a position he held until the final days of World War II. By 1940 he was at the peak of his power and influence; as minister in charge of the Four Year Plan, he was responsible for much of the functioning of the German economy in the build-up to World War II. Adolf Hitler promoted him to the rank of Reichsmarschall, a rank senior to all other Wehrmacht commanders, and in 1941 Hitler designated him as his successor and deputy in all his offices. Göring's standing with Hitler was greatly reduced by 1942, with the Luftwaffe unable to fulfill its commitments and the German war effort stumbling on both fronts. Göring largely withdrew from the military and political scene and focused on the acquisition of property and artwork, much of which was confiscated from Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Informed on 22 April 1945 that Hitler intended to commit suicide, Göring sent a telegram to Hitler asking to assume control of the Reich. Hitler then removed Göring from all his positions, expelled him from the party, and ordered his arrest. After World War II, Göring was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg Trials. He was sentenced to death by hanging, but committed suicide by ingesting cyanide the night before the sentence was to be carried out. He was diagnosed as a narcissistic sociopath, and found to have the highest IQ among the Nazis at the Nuremberg Trials. Cruel, corrupt, and self-indulgent, he amassed enormous wealth at the expense of his country, during wartime. Neither did he give two shits about any National Socialist ideals — when they asked him why he joined the Nazi movement in the first place, his explanation boiled down to "It Amused Me" — i.e. he did it only to indulge in a decadent lifestyle. When his sentence was proclaimed he said he had no regrets... he lived like a king for over 10 years and that's all that mattered to him. His only real complaint was that he was sentenced to hang, he lobbied the Judges to go before a firing squad instead, since he saw hanging as a fate only fit for "common criminals". When they refused, he committed suicide to spite them. And yet Göring also rescued several Jews and Jewish families from the Nazis, making sure they were able to get out of Germany, mostly because they'd showed him some kindness when he was poor or otherwise in a bad way. And by all accounts he really did love his daughter. His brother was an opponent of the Nazis who used Hermann's name to smuggle Jews out of Germany — Hermann knew about this, and turned a blind eye. He also deeply loved his first wife Karin — enough that he maintained a shrine in her honor after she died. Gallery Goring1907.jpeg|Göring at age 14, 1907 Trivia *His Nazi reputation notwithstanding, there is no evidence that Goering ever committed any atrocities as a World War One fighter pilot. *In an extraordinary accord, Hermann Goering greenlighted an RAF operation to airdrop a new leg for the imprisoned Douglas Bader. *He was the only recipient of the Grand Cross of The Iron Cross during WWII. *He was given the nickname "Fatso Göring" by Allied soldiers. *Because of his weight, the pilot who transported him for interrogation wanted a bigger aircraft because he was worried that the plane would have problems with the weight. It was decided that a larger aircraft would not fit the runway. Source *Despite hating Martin Bormann, both men did not like Eva Braun. 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